Student Reporting Labs Begins International Partnership with UNICEF, iEARN
January 18, 2011
New York—The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) today announced the launch of its MDGs Reporting Labs in partnership with PBS NewsHour Extra and UNICEF. The program will support high school students around the world to report on the state of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Secondary school students between the ages of 14 – 19 have been invited to join this initiative. They will be trained in the principles and tools of journalism through a free, week-long online course conducted by iEARN. Groups of students in each location will be paired with graduate journalism students and journalists to produce multimedia reports.
“Never has there been a more vital need for a free flow of viewpoints voiced by the youth of the world. This exciting partnership will enable young journalists throughout the world to share their perspectives and local stories on the MDGs,” said Ed Gragert, Executive Director of iEARN-USA.
Inspired by PBS NewsHour Extra’s US-based Student Reporting Labs, the MDGs Reporting Labs will engage young people from different corners of the world on reporting on the state of the MDGs in their communities. “Thoughtful journalism is one of the most powerful forms of learning. Students who participate in this project gain information and media skills, news savvy, and curiosity about international and community issues. They also experience the power of getting and telling a story to an authentic audience,” said Leah Clapman, Managing Editor for Education at the PBS NewsHour.
For 35 years, millions of Americans and citizens of the world have turned to MacNeil/Lehrer Productions for the solid, reliable reporting that has made the PBS NewsHour one of the most trusted news programs in television.
The Student Reporting Labsconnect students with a network of public broadcasting mentors, an innovative journalism curriculum and an online collaborative space to develop digital media, critical thinking and communication skills while producing original news reports for PBS NewsHour Extra.
Students participating in the MDGs Reporting Labs will use interactive forums and blogs to exchange ideas and share their final stories. Stories approved for publication will be posted on iEARN’s World Youth News, PBS Newshour Extra and UNICEF’s Voices of Youth. These stories will also be freely available for reprinting in student newspapers, magazines and websites.
About iEARN
iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 130 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 2,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide. Since 1988, iEARN has pioneered on-line school linkages to enable students to engage in meaningful educational projects with peers in their countries and around the world. Visit www.iearn.org and www.us.iearn.org.
About PBS NewsHour Extra
NewsHour Extra uses the resources of the PBS NewsHour to provide teachers and students with quality educational resources based on current issues and events—all for FREEat www.pbs.org/newshour/extra. The PBS NewsHour is seen five nights a week on more than 315 PBS stations across the country (check local listings) and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, in association with WETA Washington, DC, and THIRTEEN in New York. Corporate funding for The NewsHour is currently provided by Chevron and Intel, with major funding from the Atlantic Philanthropies, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.
About UNICEF
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. Voices of Youth is an Internet site created by UNICEF for young people who want to know more, do more and say more about the world. It’s about linking children and adolescents in different countries to explore, speak out and take action on global issues that are important to them and to creating a world fit for children. Since its launch in 1995, Voices of Youth has reached young people in more than 180 countries. More than 60% are from developing countries. Visit http://www.voicesofyouth.org/ and blog.voicesofyouth.org. [This link is no longer available.]
Contact: Anindita Dutta Roy, 212.870.2693, anindita@us.iearn.org